Emperor Yunlan Haorang nodded with a faint smile.
And in that instant, the light returned to Old Tiger Zhao’s eyes.
“Hah! Now we’re talkin’!”
He lightly clapped the emperor on the back like an old buddy.
“You should’ve led with that, old man!”
The emperor’s escorts reacted instantly. Hands darted toward storage rings, sleeves twitched, robes stirred as if hiding something sharp.
Their gazes locked onto Old Tiger Zhao, and in that instant, even the mildest breeze could’ve triggered a massacre.
Zhao Huan and Xie Feiyan, ever-present shadows beside the emperor during his store visits, remained calm.
But the third who was unfamiliar, let his intent show.
It wasn’t much. Barely a thread of killing aura leaked out.
But it was enough to make Dou Xinshi instinctively hide behind Old Tiger Zhao.
The man was very tall, towering over the others with a broad, heavyset build.
He wasn’t muscular in the usual way, but solid all over – built for sumo wrestling, made to slam into people and never move a step.
His hands were massive, the kind that could wrap around someone’s face and crush it without effort, as if squeezing fruit.
His face was average to the point of forgettable. His short, spiky hazel hair poked out from under the same kind of cheap farmer’s hat the others wore.
But no true expert would ever believe that face belonged to him.
That was Pang Wuqing.
Also a core assassin of the Shrouded Blade.
One of the hidden hands beneath the imperial throne.
Just as Pang Wuqing’s aura began to rise another fraction, the emperor moved.
A flick of his fingers.
Barely noticeable.
Yet the effect was immediate.
All three returned to stillness. The pressure they’d created vanished as quickly as it came, smoothed over like ripples in a pond.
Old Tiger Zhao blinked, glanced at the emperor, then gave a sheepish half-grin.
“My bad, old man.”
He didn’t even glance at the other three. His tone didn’t change.
It wasn’t arrogance.
It was clarity.
They’d reacted to his hand, he wouldn’t fault them for it.
But if they really wanted to throw hands?
He wouldn’t be the one backing down.
Old Tiger Zhao turned back to Sect Master Jiang Xianwei with a freshly ignited grin. The one that said “I am now open for business.”
With all the grace of someone handling a sack of rice, he reached over, pinched the back of Dou Xinshi’s collar, and hoisted him up.
“Eh?”
Dou Xinshi let out a confused noise as his feet left the ground, legs kicking slightly.
He was gently lifted, arms flailing a little, before Old Tiger Zhao set him down right in front of Jiang Xianwei, dusting him off.
“You folks can ask the kid anything you want,” Old Tiger Zhao said cheerfully, thumbing at Dou Xinshi with zero remorse.
“He’s been hangin’ around here all day. Probably knows more than me.”
He gave the poor youth a solid pat on the shoulder.
“Real friendly sort, too. Polite. Doesn’t bite. You’ll like him.”
Dou Xinshi stood there, hit with a full-body stun debuff.
Eyes blank. Mouth slightly parted.
Wait… wait, wait, wait – was I just… sold off?!
His pupils shrank.
This… this traitor!
This absolute backstabbing old man!
Old Tiger Zhao casually glanced down at Dou Xinshi.
“Gotta treat the elders with respect, right, kid? You’ll be fine.”
Dou Xinshi’s soul left his body. It ascended.
Then it came crashing back down, dragging all the betrayal with it.
Was our brotherhood worth only a few crystals?! You sold me for snacks?!
Was I worth that little to you – !?
…Actually, hold on.
At least five cups of instant noodles, right?
That’s a decent trade…
Wait no! That’s still wrong!
Old Tiger Zhao’s mood flip was so sudden, it nearly gave everyone emotional whiplash.
One second, he was a rock-solid wall of protection.
The next, he was a used goods merchant proudly showing off his best cabbage.
Sect Master Jiang Xianwei actually laughed – a low, amused sound that somehow made things even worse.
Behind the counter, Hao sighed and shook his head slowly.
’This old man.’
Dou Xinshi, meanwhile, resembled a third-tier anime protagonist who had just been booted out of the spotlight by a side character with better screen presence.
One moment, he was the center of heaven and earth.
Next, he was being dragged off for questioning.
The group from Sovereign City exchanged looks, quiet thoughts bubbling under their composed expressions.
They weren’t judging. No, no.
But one thought did pass through each of their minds:
“How poor must this old man be to sell out his companion that fast?”
A man with that much physical power and presence leaking from his casual posture… they assumed he’d at least have some sort of personal treasury.
Maybe he was eccentric?
Maybe he was testing the junior?
Maybe
No.
It was far more tragic than that.
Old Tiger Zhao, you see, simply didn’t like hunting.
Sure, he could. Smash a few beasts, throw a mountain or two, steal a core here and there.
But more often than not, the old man would rather sleep on his roof, train his body with rocks he found on the roadside, or flex shirtless in the river while pretending he was washing clothes.
And when he did earn crystals?
They were instantly wasted.
Random herbs he never used. An antique chair that broke in three days. A set of wooden spoons carved into the shape of mythical beasts.
A jade comb for his nonexistent hair.
Special reasons, indeed.
But the real culprit of his now-drained wallet?
The Dimensional Convenience Store.
Old Tiger Zhao had been stopping by almost daily.
At this rate, even if he wanted to hunt, his body was probably running more on ice cream than physical energy.
Still, he wasn’t about to turn away a free offer when one came knocking.
“Crystals?” Old Tiger Zhao had once said.
“Eh. Can’t take ’em to the grave.”
“Free food? Now that’s a blessing.”
Old Tiger Zhao stepped aside shamelessly and turned to Emperor Yunlan Haorang with a wide smile.
“So… can I get the products I want now?”
He waved a hand toward Dou Xinshi. “You folks take your time with the kid.”
“He won’t run. Good at talkin’. If he stutters, just give him a sec.”
Dou Xinshi: “…”
He glared, lips twitching.
“You demon.” Dou Xinshi cursed silently.